Indus River Valley
Indus River Valley
• The Indus River civilization arose in about 2500 B.C.
• Mesopotamia= 4500 B.C.
• Egypt= 3200 B.C.
• Was located in modern day Bangladesh, India, and
Pakistan
• Guarded by mountains
• Hindu Kush, Karakorum, and the Himalayas
• In between the Ganges and the Indus rivers
Mountains of the Hindu Kush
The Indus River Valley and the
Indian Subcontinent
Geography of the region
• Geographers refer the landmass that includes India,
Pakistan, and Bangladesh as the Indian subcontinent
• The Indus River flows southwest Himalayas to the
Arabian Sea
• The Ganges River flows eastward across northern
India
• The Himalayas served as protection from invaders
and traps and keeps moisture
Indus River
Ganges River
Monsoons
• Seasonal winds called monsoons dominate India’s climate
• During different seasons, wind blows from different
directions.
• October to February: winter monsoons from the northeast blow dry
air westward across the country
• June to October: the monsoons blow eastward from the southwest
carrying moisture from the ocean
• Without the monsoons  Extreme droughts and famine.
Monsoon can cause sudden,
and devastating floods
Path of monsoon winds
Challenges
• Like the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians, the Indus
River civilization faced similar challenges:
• Yearly floods
• Unpredictable like Mesopotamia
• Rivers sometimes changed course
• The cycle of wet and dry seasons brought by monsoons
effected crops
Beginnings of Civilization
• Historians know less about the Indus River
civilizations because they have not yet translated
their writing
• Archaeologists found evidence
that people settled in this area
around 7000 B.C.
• Domesticated sheep herd bones
• Believe that civilizations started
in the Indus River Valley around
3200 B.C.
The city of Harappa
• The Largest city in the Indus Valley was Harappa.
• Indus Valley civilization often referred to as the Harappan civilization
• Most remarkable achievements of the Harappans were
their sophisticated city planning
• City featured a fortified
area called a citadel.
• Contained and protected
villagers’ homes.
• Featured the first
plumbing system.
Unknowns
•Language: Still not translated
•Culture: Lots of animal symbols
• Shows that animals played a big role in their everyday life.
•Religion: No temple has ever been found.
• Archeologists believe it was a theocracy
• Trade: Indus River provided a link to the sea
• Gold and silver were found from Afghanistan
• Stones that were not native to the Indus area